Basu Baady
Door bell rings
"Debu daaa, dekho kon aaye hai" Anupam said to one of the servants, from upstairs and went from there.
Door got opened,
"Arre Prerna bittiya, aap subah subah!!, aayiye"
"Ji Namaste Debu daa, aap kaise ho?"
"Khoob bhaalo bittiya, Rajesh ji ab kaise hai?"
"Voh theek hai ab"
"Kon hai?" Mohini asked from the stairs, and looked at Prerna.
"Voh Prerna bittiya aayi hai"
"Hmm, tum kitchen main jao" Debu daa went from there.
"Aao Prerna, Rajesh kaisa hai ab?"
"Ji ab thoda behtar hai, Voh.. Nivi di hai kya ghar main?"
"Voh office chali gayi. Kyu?Nivi se kya kaam hai?"
"Voh baaba.."
"Agar suspend karne ki baat ho toh voh meri phaisla thi"
"Suspend?!!!Aapne Baaba ko suspend kar diya?!" Prerna couldn't trust her ears. Its been 23 years, Rajesh in Basu publications, and now!!
"Haa!! punishment sab ke liye ek hi hota hai. Maine usse suspend hi toh kiya hai, aur notice period ki andar hi andar ek solution nikalo varna khud voh amount ka bharpaayi karo"
"Par, Kaaki maa, Baaba nirdosh hai, aur aap iss tarah unhe kaam se nahi nikaal sakte. Aap jaante hai na, unke liye Moloy Kaakaa aur Basu Publications kitne important hai."
"Galati hua hai usse, aur oopar se meri Nivi par ungli uda raha tha. Pehle galati karo aur phir ilzaam kisi aur ke oopar daaldu?!"
"Kaaki Maa, yeh aap kya keh rahi hai? Baaba kabhi esa nahi karenge."
"Tum yaha aakar hum dono ke time waste kar rahe ho"
"Theek hai,
iss problem ka solution toh main nikaal kar rahungi aur main, apni baaba ko bekkasoor bhi saabit karungi. "
"Of course, You can, agar nahi kar paayi toh phir se yaha aane ki himmat mat karna"
Prerna angrily went from there.
........................................
At college,
Prerna is walking through the corridor thinking about the problem. At the same time, Anurag is also coming from the opposite direction reading his book. Both bumbed into each other.
"Heyy tum! lagta hai college main hamesha hamare mulakat ese, bumb karte huye hi honge" Anurag laughed, but Prerna didn't even listened to what he was saying, "sorry" she told in a daze and started to walk past him. But he grabbed her hand seeing her tensed face.
"Prerna, tum theek ho? Rajesh uncle theek hai na"
"Haa!Anurag mujhe jaana hai"
"Haa toh tum chali jaana par baat batane ki baad. Kya hua? kuch toh hai jo tumhe pareshan kar rahi hai!"
"Kuch nahi Anurag, tum jaao class ke liye late hoga" She tried to get herself out of his grip.
"Ok, idhar aao beto" He made her sit on the nearby bench.
"Ab batao, baat kya hai?" She was on the verge of crying
"Anurag" She couldn't control herself and broke down in front of him.
"Baabaa bekasoor hai Anurag. Meri baaba kabhi chori nahi kar sakte. Voh kisi aur ke baare main bura bhi nahi soch sakte"
"Ok ok.. tum pehle stop crying aur phir batado exactly kya hua hai?"
Prerna wiped her tears.
Prerna told him the full story behind the problem.
"Main kuch karta hu, you don't worry, ok, Jaao apna class attend karo aur shaam ko khar jaake mujhe voh papers ki photos bhej dena theeke?"
"Hmm, Anurag... meri baaba kuch galat nahi ki hai"
Anurag smiled and she went to attend the class.
"Shaayad Nivi di ko galat phehmi huyi hogi, kyun ki jis tarah baaba ne Rajesh uncle ke baare main baat ki hai, Voh ek nek aur sache insaan hai. Par Maa ese kaise kar sakte hai?!! Agar baaba ko pata chala toh unhe bohut bura lagega. Hmm dekhte hai kya karna hai"
......................................
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At Manglore
"Amms! yeh dekho Nandu Di aur Sid bhayya ki old photos, Nandu di kitni cute lag rahi hai, hai na?!!" Rishab picked up the photos excitedly.
"Rishuu, voh sab gandhe hai, saaf karne ke baad dekhlena"
"Nahi Amms, main khud saaf kar doonga na, main yeh sab Nandu di ko dikha kar aate hai"
Rishab ran from there with the box.
...........
Nandini is writing her diary, sitting at the balcony.
"Nandu diiiiiiiiiiiii, yeh dekho!!!!!!!!" Excited Rishab's voice caught Nandini's attention.
Rishab spread the photos on the bed. Then he grabbed Nandini's hand and made her sit on the bed.
"Diii, dekho aap kitni cutee lag rahi hai", It was Nandini baby's photo, all wrapped up in a white towel with light pink chubby cheeks and gol gol eyes.
Nandini smiled looking at her photo. Then she took another photo from the bundle, it was a group photo, her Ma, Papa, and Chotti Nandu.
There were lots of photos which made her so nostalgic. She and Rishab discussed about the events behind each photos. Then Rishab took another picture which is very old,
{This picture is of Mohammad Rafi, but its the apt picture, so sorry to him🙏}
"Dii, yeh to Daadaji hai na?"
"Haa, Yeh Daadaji hai, aur yeh jo left main bette hai, meri Paapa, aur right main, Chaachu yani ki tumhara Paapa"
"Aur yeh centre main kon hai?!"
"Voh!.. Voh hamare bua hai"
"Bua, matlab Paapa ka sister na?!"
"Hmm, elder sister hai"
"Par, maine toh inhe kabhi nahi dekha, aur inke baare main aaj se pehle kabhi nahi suna!! Yeh kaha hai?"
"Voh... hamari paida hone se pehle hi, iss khar se chali gayi thi. Aur Amms ne abhi tak maaf nahi kiya unhe"
"Chali gayi!! Kyu?"
"Bua kisi se pyaar karthi thi aur Amms aur Daadaaji ko pasand nahi the, toh..., inhone bhaag kar shaadi ki"
"Phir!!?"
"Phir, Daadaji bohut naraaz ho gaya aur unhe khar se nikaal diya. Aur ek hafte baad beti khone ki dukh main Daadaji ka death ho gaya, heart attack!"
"Oh my god, isliye Amms abhi tak unse gussa hai?"
"Haa"
"Voh ab kaha honge, aapko pata hai?"
"Voh, Kolkata main hai!"
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